$2000 Gaming Rig

[flizzer]

Im trying to put together a gaming rig for around $2000. Im not actually building this myself , but I plan on getting the parts and having my local computer store put it together. I understand it is cheaper to put it together myself, but I just dont have those skills.

Anyway, so far I am looking at this setup:

1. GTX 670
2. Intel i5-3570K
3. AsRock Z77 Extreme4.

I might try to overclock in the future or add another card, but not at the moment. Still undecided about the other components...
I think I prefer going with air cooling since liquid cooling just makes me nervous and I dont want to deal with any maintenance issues. Im looking for a SSD with around 120-130GB and a backup 1TB drive. I have no idea on cases. A quiet system is my priority, so any case that helps reduce noise is what I would want.


Thanks.

 

[JMer806]

For $2k, you're selling yourself short by getting a 670. You can afford a 680.

Here's what I'd get for 2 grand:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($204.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($261.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($45.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($449.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XM (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Pioneer BDR-206DBKS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1861.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-01 12:45 EST-0500)

Edit: Forgot that I had an upgraded build that I meant to put here.

 

[avenseth12]

If you are going to spend $2K, get 16gbs of RAM and maybe think about full tower case

 

[JMer806]

If you are going to spend $2K, get 16gbs of RAM and maybe think about full tower case

I can see getting a full tower if you prefer them, but 16GB isn't worth it. Having a $2k budget doesn't mean you should spend $2k on components you don't need just because you can.

 

[trumpeter1994]

I'd still say go with the 670..... it'd save him enough money to put towards putting it in SLI a little later. Go with this I have one and I LOVE IT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787
Could probably find it cheaper elsewhere though, that seems a bit higher than it usually is on newegg.

 

[EzioAs]

Don't waste money on the 7970 GHz Ed, get the normal one, they are cheaper. In fact with $2k to spend, you could probably get 2 of them and run in crossfire but 1 is more than enough if you're gaming at 1080p only

 

[DarkSable]

Just throwing this out there....

Building a computer is like working with adult LEGOs. All you need is a single screwdriver and the manuals that come with the parts.

The best way to do it is to go to youtube and look up a video. (I like Newegg's and NCIX's.) Watch it all the way through, once. Then put your build together as you watch the video again, pausing it to take the appropriate actions.

All told, it will take you about two to three hours for your first time doing it. (Those of us with practice can put a simple build together in less than a minute.) So yeah, I'm just throwing out there that it's cheaper than asking someone else to do it, it's FUN, and it's easy to learn.

 

[JMer806]

Don't waste money on the 7970 GHz Ed, get the normal one, they are cheaper. In fact with $2k to spend, you could probably get 2 of them and run in crossfire but 1 is more than enough if you're gaming at 1080p only

To get similar performance you'd have to overclock, and with that kind of budget why bother doing it yourself when you can get the factory overclock that comes with a warranty? It's less than $100 extra, and there's plenty of room in the budget.

 

[EzioAs]

To get similar performance you'd have to overclock, and with that kind of budget why bother doing it yourself when you can get the factory overclock that comes with a warranty? It's less than $100 extra, and there's plenty of room in the budget.

Just throwing it out there because I always believe in spending money wisely. Why spend more when you can get the same performance with a less then 5 min tweak (not including testing)? In fact, in most games you don't really need the extra clockspeeds because they will both give playable framerates.

Actually, another reason why I recommend the non GHz edition is because I think OP can actually cram 2 7970 with his budget. But that's an even more waste of money because high end crossfire only makes sense for 2560x1600/1440 or triple 1080p gaming which OP did not state at what resolution will he be playing.